This Friday, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are due to hit the campaign trail together. Could this be a preview of what is to come after the convention, which it seems will go on as scheduled? There is a committee looking at various vice presidential candidates, but Hillary is the only one who is being teamed up with the presumptive nominee.

It could very well be that this is a test run to see how the American voters react to an Obama/Clinton ticket. After all an Obama/Clinton or Clinton/Obama ticket has been called the dream ticket and Clinton did win the primaries in many of the swing states, the states that both Obama and McCain need in his respective column if he expects to be standing on the Capital steps next January 20th.

The Democrats have been pushing hard for party unity even going as far as saying that Obama will be the only candidate on the first ballot when it is customary to let the other candidates on so that their delegates get a shot at voicing their support for the one they have campaigned for all these long, long months. Then when it comes to the second ballot, the other candidates drop out and let the leader be nominated.

At the same time the Republicans are still divided, especially when it comes to the supporters of Ron Paul who have vowed to fight on till the end. Right now, it is not even apparent that Paul will have a speakers slot at the Republican convention. Would Obama and Clinton on the trail together show the Democrats who are still not sure if they are going to support the candidate that they are really working towards the same goal and convince some of them to move off the fence to the Obama side?

I often say that if is the biggest word in the English language. If Obama and Clinton get good reactions from the crowds and if the polls taken after they begin their road show show some movent their way in the swing states, then this could very well the way it will be from now until November. We will be keeping a close watch on the swing states. This election could be getting very interesting again very soon. And not only where the Democrats and Republicans are concerned. The Libertarian candidate Bob Barr could be playing the biggest role ever for a third party candidate, but more on him later.

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